Vagabond of the Dawn
by The Light's Refrain
Summary: ONESHOT You never know who, or what, you'll encounter while strolling the skirts of Snowpoint early in the morning. But that's part of the reason Cynthia does it in the first place. MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY NEW YEAR, VATONAGE!


_Hi! This is my Secret Santa story to Vatonage! Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long. _

_Happy New Year everyone! :D_

Vagabond of the Dawn

"_We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit." -Robert H. Shaffer_

People wondered why Cynthia liked taking strolls in the snow, especially when the snow was nearly up to her knees. _Especially_ when it was six-o-clock in the morning, with the dawn barely seeping through the waning cover of night, and barely above freezing. Then again, people were _always_ wondering about Cynthia: why she wore all black, where she came from, what made her so determined to research the legendaries, how she could be so ordinary and so exotic at the same time.

Let them wonder. Cynthia enjoyed laughing at the gossip.

It had been snowing especially heavily in Snowpoint this year. The native Ice-types frolicked in the cold, but most people, especially Trainers, preferred to stay holed up in someplace warm. Snow was easier to enjoy if you didn't have to step out into the frozen fluff.

Cynthia, of course, wasn't most people. Apparently, neither was _he_.

The young man laid on the back of a great dragon Pokemon, He held out his bare hand and watched as the snowflakes that landed became droplets slipping down his palm. His long green hair was spread out behind him like the strands of a weeping willow.

His dragon noticed Cynthia and roared. The odd youth sat up, showing how tall he was. "Oh, hello. Isn't this beautiful weather?"

Cynthia glanced up to the gray sky, and the many snowflakes it was shedding. "Many people would argue that point, but I happen to agree with you. There are few things more beautiful than snow."

The young man smiled mildly and nodded, before gazing up to the frozen heavens. "Each snowflake is uniquely patterned. There are so many, yet each are different, and perfect in their own way. It must be a supreme formula indeed, that can so flawlessly produce such a result."

"Indeed," Cynthia answered, now studying the Pokemon he was perched upon. "That Pokemon…how did you get it?"

At this the youth grinned wider. "It chose me. It is my dearest friend."

An observant pause. "May I take a closer look at it?"

The young man turned to his dragon, who made a soft noise in response. He turned back to Cynthia. "You may."

"Thank you," Cynthia replied, before moving closer to the creature. It watched her languidly as she slowly circled around it, taking in its majesty. This was indeed a legendary being. She had been around enough of them to know.

The young man also watched her. "You…are not afraid?"

Cynthia stopped and smiled. "Of course not. It's a wonderful Pokemon. I feel honored seeing it in person."

"I see," said the young man, the muscles in his shoulders relaxing. "It's a very caring friend. Unfortunately, not everyone understands that." He looked gloomier after these words, even though he still smiled.

The dragon noticed the young man's discomfort, and made a small whining noise. The youth cheered up and rubbed the dragon on the back of the neck.

"People are afraid of the unknown," said Cynthia. "That's why we must learn about the unknown. So that we aren't scared of it, and can judge it properly."

The young man nodded, though he still seemed distracted. He looked off to the distance, which was mostly obscured by torrents of coming snow. "Tell me, what do you believe in more? Truth, or ideals?"

"Hmm…" said Cynthia, holding her chin. "An interesting question. Can we really live without either? But there are times when you need one more than the other. You need truth if you are surrounded by lies, and ideals when faced with a terrible reality. So…it really depends on the situation."

The youth seemed intrigued, but dissatisfied by the answer. "And if you are not sure whether you need truth or ideals more?"

"Then you need to follow your heart to the answer."

"But what if you are wrong?" asked the youth. "As if, your heart has the best intentions, but it is led astray regardless?"

"Well…No one's right all the time," answered Cynthia. "Not even the best of people. That's why its important to make a lot of friends from a lot of different places. Even when you're wrong, they'll help steer you right."

"Friends…" said the youth. "Yes, I understand that. That's what I have been trying to do."

"Then you'll find the answer soon enough," said Cynthia, smiling. "You might even already have your answer and not even know it. But you won't know for sure until you've seen enough places, people and Pokemon. That's why you're traveling, right? To discover yourself?"

The young man gave her a surprised stare. "How did you know?"

"It's something we all do at some point, Trainer or not, traveler or not," said Cynthia. "And eventually, we all find out who we really are, and what we're really looking for. Just as you will, N, hero of Unova."

"…So you know who I am," said N. "And, most likely, what I have done. Yet you still believe I deserve that title?"

Cynthia nodded.

And N smiled, _really_ smiled, though he looked like he might cry. "Thank you. Thank you very much."

He and his dragon left soon after that, beckoned to other places. Cynthia watched them disappear into the snowflake-spotted skies, saying nothing. Nothing needed to be said. She knew he already knew the way.

_IIIIII_

_I thought it would be interesting to see Cynthia and N meet, and set it at Snowpoint b/c Vatonage likes Ice-types XD. I hope you enjoyed this little story :). _


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